Black Man Expected To Be Named Head Of NASA

The buzz in Washington is that former astronaut Charles F. Bolden Jr. will be nominated as the new chief of NASA when he meets with President Barack Obama at the White House on Monday.

Bolden, a retired Marine general and a space shuttle pilot for 13 years at NASA, would be the first African-American to run the agency. If selected for the post, the Senate would have to confirm the nomination.

In addition to his aerospace experience, Bolden is an experienced business executive. Currently, he is chief executive officer of JackandPanther LLC, a private military and aerospace consulting firm. He is a former president and chief operating officer for American PureTex Water Corporation and Pure Tex Waters Works and was senior vice president at TechTrans International, Inc. He also serves on the boards of directors of Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina and Marathon Oil Corporation.